“Not Willing to Utterly Destroy”

February 4, 2018

“Not Willing to Utterly Destroy”

Blessings folk!

There is so much for us to learn from the Old Testament.
So many principles.
So many truths.
So many warnings.

Read…what do you think the “most important” word is?

1Sa 15:1-9

Then Samuel said to Saul,
“The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel;
now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel,
how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.

‘Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him;
but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim,
200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley.

Saul said to the Kenites,
“Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them;
for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt.”
So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt.

He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive,
and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly;
but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Samuel reminded Saul that the Lord had anointed him as king at the hand of Samuel.
So, listen to the Word of the Lord.

This was the Word of the Lord - not Samuel’s.

God told Saul to go and to strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he (Amalek) had.
Simple.
To the point.
How could one not understand?

Especially when the Lord clarified.

Put to death:

  • Men
  • Women
  • Child
  • Infant
  • Ox
  • Sheep
  • Camel
  • Donkey

Many struggle with this.
Why would God do so?
The short answer is because of who Amalek was and what they had done (maybe we will chase that later).

Did you catch the word?

“But…”!

Saul and people spared the best of:
  • Sheep
  • Oxen
  • Fatlings
  • Lamb

They captured Agag.

Yes, they utterly destroyed all the people, yet they were not willing to utterly destroy the best of the livestock.

Why?

Greed.
Rebellion against the Lord.

Nothing changes.
Today, even those that profess to “be of God” do not do what He instructs.
We think we know better.

We do not.

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